A Community in Crisis: Gentrification in Woodstock and Salt River

Woodstock and Salt River residents, who have called the suburbs home for generations, are facing ice-cold evictions. Sometimes tenants are forced out by high rents and intimidation, sometimes house owners are bought out by property developers, without knowing the rapidly increasing worth of their property. Each case differs, but the cause can often be traced back to the recent wave of urban regeneration, which started to unfold after the textile industry collapsed in the 90s. While some argue the area is improving – less crime, more business, prettier buildings – others are forced to live in the Cape Flats or Blikkiesdorp, a temporary relocation area in Delft, far from schools, jobs, and hospitals. The problem is complex, but there are certain drivers that are adding to these developments. On this walk, Christine Hogg talked to some residents and other stakeholders to try and understand the challenges they are facing.

Further reading:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15idtsiq4QIZCH5syw4QtRD4Q4ohET2OneN2CPJc9yII/edit?usp=sharing

Full answers from the City of Cape Town:

https://voicemap.me/blog/2016/11/urban-generation-in-woodstock-salt-river-answers-from-the-city/

The cover image is graffiti art by DFeat Once.